Kobe Bryant’s Dad, Joe “JellyBean” Bryant New Head Coach of LA Sparks

Every once awhile I will call Kobe “Bean”. Bean is Kobe’s middle name and it comes from his father’s nickname JellyBean.

Jelly Bean was a good, not great player in the NBA, played overseas a lot. He and Kobe have had a rocky relationship over the years mainly because of Vanessa, but recently it seems to have been repaired.

While the NBA Lockout, Jelly Bean has a new gig.

The Los Angeles Sparks have dismissed Jennifer Gillom as coach and replaced her with Joe “Jellybean” Bryant, the father of Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant who previously coached the WNBA team.

General manager Penny Toler announced the move Sunday night, saying it was necessary to take the team in a different direction.

Bryant previously coached the Sparks from August 2005 through the 2006 season, guiding them to two playoff appearances. He was hired in March as an assistant to Gillom. Sandy Brondello remains as an assistant.